Football | Uganda

Kenya just another game – Bobby

Cranes coach has played down the rivalry between Uganda and Kenya after the two nations were pooled together in Group A of this year’s Tusker Cecafa Cup.

Next year’s Nations Cup finalists Ethiopia and Fifa’s newest member South Sudan complete the group and Bobby reluctantly admits it is a difficult one.

“It’s (group) difficult of course,” he said in an interview with SuperSport.com, adding, “I would have said that for any group anyway. You have to respect everybody.”

The Scot is looking to guiding the Cranes to the 13th Cecafa title, which would be his third in his four-year reign as Uganda coach.

Uganda and Kenya have enjoyed a well-documented rivalry in Cecafa competitions and Nations Cup qualifiers over the years, with the Cranes having an edge over the Harambee Stars having won 20 times to Kenya’s 17, 19 others ending in draws.

The most recent and most haunting in Cranes fans’ minds is the goalless draw last year that ended the Cranes hopes of qualifying for this year’s Afcon in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. But Bobby refuses to read too much in the rivalry.

“(But) it (being pooled with Kenya) means nothing to me,” he said, adding, “It’s just like any other game.

“We have played them before on a couple of occasions. Like I said we have been involved with them in the past and there is nothing to fear about them. But we have to respect them. We have to respect everybody.”

The tournament in Kampala starts on November 24, with Ethiopia vs South Sudan the early kick-off before the day’s showdown involving Uganda and Kenya takes centre stage.